As mobile wireless communication devices continue to become increasingly ubiquitous, the demand for data bandwidth likewise continues to increase. Moreover, users of wireless communication devices continually demand increased bandwidth which, when combined with the increasing number of wireless communication devices in service, strains the data limits of a radio access provider's ability to meet the demand. Moreover, machine-to-machine communications are becoming increasingly common, thereby adding additional bandwidth requirements to an already strained infrastructure.
As such, radio access providers are continually striving to improve the relevant technologies that can meet the increased bandwidth, smaller size, and reduced power requirements that will be required to meet the even increasing demands for data and bandwidth demands.
One promising avenue of technological advancement is in the area of antenna design. According to some, a high frequency array antenna system, such as a phased-array system, is the best bet for providing more mobile users, enabling new services and technologies to operate on the same frequency, and provide data speeds that are orders of magnitude faster than are currently available. However, in many cases, a high frequency antenna system has a relatively short propagation distance. As such, a signal emanating from a high-frequency antenna is easily attenuated. Signal attenuation leads to reduced data speeds, dropped voice calls, and a reduction in the overall quality of service.